Ruark’s flagship R7 gets a revamp for multiroom and vinyl enthusiasts

Ruark Audio has announced an update to its flagship, in the über-stylish form of the R7 Mk3.

The Ruark Audio R7 Mk2 won the Trusted Reviews Home Audio Product of the Year award for 2016, so the R7 Mk3 has big boots to fill. Thankfully, this upgraded radiogram looks well equipped to slip those roomy clogs on – and might even need a size larger.

While the Mk2 was only a technical refresh, the Ruark R7 Mk3 looks very obviously different, with the same British-sourced fabric for its grille as Ruark uses on the MR1 Mk2. The choice of finishes for the main cabinet also echoes the MR1 Mk2 – walnut or soft grey – with the legs matte black for the former or a much paler pine for the latter.

The basic specs remain very similar to previous iterations, so you get a slot-loading CD player, DAB/DAB+/FM radio, and Wi-Fi DLNA streaming. The Bluetooth has been uprated to aptX HD for playing Hi-Res Audio wirelessly.

Under the grey cloth grille you get a pair of 140mm dual-concentric drivers, and underneath is a 200mm active subwoofer, all powered by 160W of class A-B amplification.

The big tech additions include a built-in phono stage – so you can plug a decent turntable straight into the back – and a new control system. Instead of the old RotoDial control unit that lifted out to become the remote, you now get fixed controls and a separate RotoDial remote.

The R7 Mk3 is also now part of a multiroom system, able to stream to the existing R2 Mk3 or an all-new forthcoming speaker, the Ruark MRx. You can stream from any source, too, even sending the vinyl love all around your house.

The Ruark Audio R7 Mk3 will cost £2300 when it goes on sale in October. An optional TV mount is also available, so that it can be used as a combined soundbar and TV stand.

Like the look of the new Ruark radiogram? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter @trustedreviews